The New York Giants' top priority this offseason should be surrounding Jaxson Dart with more talent on offense. They have two cornerstones in Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo, but are at risk of losing Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency, which means reinforcements are needed in some capacity.
The Minnesota Vikings stunned the NFL world by firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah earlier this week, and it seems like they're gearing towards a rebuild. This means they could make players like Jordan Addison available for trade, but the Giants are better suited to acquire star tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Hockenson was great in years past, but suffered an ACL tear in December of 2023 he's still recovering from. He hasn't topped 500 yards in each of the last two seasons, which led Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine to label the former first-rounder as a potential cap casualty in Minnesota.
Assuming they actually exercise the out in his contract and move on from Hockenson instead of paying him over $20 million per season in 2026 and 2027, Big Blue should be one of the first teams to come calling.
The Giants could consider trading for T.J. Hockenson if he is made available
Theo Johnson had a promising second season in New York, but he still dealt with some drop issues. The Giants should consider adding a second tight end to split snaps with him or add a backup who is better than Daniel Bellinger, so Hockenson is worth considering even as a mere rotational option.
The Iowa product has been one of the most productive tight ends in football since being drafted in 2019, even with his injury woes. He has caught over 400 passes for nearly 4,500 yards in his career and is only entering his age-29 season, so i's not guaranteed that his best days are behind him.
Hockenson didn't display much with a connection with J.J. McCarthy, but the G-Men do love their tight ends, especially ones who are recycled from Minnesota. They signed Kyle Rudolph in 2021 after the Vikings cut him, so it would be incredibly interesting to see them repeat history five years later.
In all likelihood, the two-time Pro Bowler will have several suitors on the open market, but he wouldn't take more than a Day 3 pick to acquire or break the bank financially. The only roadblock standing in his way is that a reunion between John Harbaugh and Isaiah Likely reunion makes far more sense.
New York could easily capitalize on the Vikings' imminent teardown to give Dart a security blanket and bolster their TE room, but the Giants could also look to swing a little bigger with a blockbuster deal for Addison.